Seaming-machine for sheet-metal articles.



N9- 827,163. I PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

B. LINDGREN 6: J. HUMBLBUBHLBR. .SEAMING MACHINE FOR SHEET METAL ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAIL31. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Mafia/714 50 Nb 827,163. f PATBNTED JULY 31, 1906.

B. J. LINDGREN & J. IHUMELBUEHLERL SEAMING MACHINE FOR SHEET METAL'ARTIGLES;

APPLICATION FILED JAN: 31, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'a I K I e08" ea.' V

a w a THE NORRIS PETERS co WASNINOION, n. c.

' ing a double seam ofthekind for which the. I

'tively, for erfo'rming t e-successive steps of UNITED STATES PATENT BROR J. LINDGREN AND JOHN HUMELB'UEHLERLOF:BUFFALO, NEWYORK, ASSIGNORS TO NIAGARA MACHINE (St 1:091) WORKS, OF BUFFALO,

NEW YORK.

S'EAM ING-MAOHINE F'OR ESHEET-M'ETAL ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 31, 1906. Serial No. 298,792.

Patented Ju snieoe.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be itknown that.we,BRoR J..L1NDGREN and new and useful Improvement in Seaming- Machines for Sheet-Metal Articles, of which the following is ,a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to seaming-machines of that. kind .used forattaching the bottoms or ends to the circular bodies of.cans, tubs, tanks, and other articles. of large diameter by the well-knownv double seam or fold; and the machine hereinafter described is especially adapted for working comparatively heavy sheet metal.

The principal object of. the invention is to, produce a machine capable of easyandrapid operation which is of simple andinexpensivel construction and is suitablefor joining the; ends and bodies of vessels or articles differing greatly in size and to soconstructzthe machine that large heavy work can be done, up on it with the minimum exertion upon the\ part of the operator.

To this end. the machine comprises .amandrel or disk upon which the work is loosely supported and a series of seamingrolls,which; are positivelydriven and are movably mount--v ed, so as to be successively presented to the. :Work, the rolls being so shaped and arranged, as to hold the article in position uponthemandrel while forming the seam and in part at least relieve the operator from this task.

- Inthe accompanyingdrawings, consisting of'two sheets, Figure 1 is a front elevationiof a double-seaming machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a planview thereof. Fig. i 3 is'a fragmentary longitudinalsectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, oftheupper portion of the machine inline 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 41isa transverse sectional elevation of the upper portion of the machine in line 4 4,.

Fig. 2.. Fig. 5' is a fragmentaryplan view'of;

the machine, partly in horizontal section in line 5 5,,Fig; 3. Figs. 6, 7,8, and 9 are detail views illustrating the several steps ofform- A-represents the 111%111' frame or support .of.

1 the'machine, whichconsists, prefeiably,..of a

standard secured. on a suitable based-and surmounted-by a hollowboxor rectangular casting-a.

B representsv a-zcircular mandrel or disk, upon {which the work isplaced and supported while forming the, seam. The-,mandrel :is loosely supported, so as to be free to revolve as, for instance, bya spindle 12, secured. to the mandrel and j ournaled in :an upright pedestal C, rising from-the base of the frame. The mandrel is adjusted toward and from, the frame-standard by moving its pedestal ,which is' arranged, as usual, to slide upontracks or ways 01 onthe base and is moved byanadjusting-screw e. Clamping bolts e are shown for rigidly securing the pedestal. after adjustment. Any .other usual or suitable means for eflecting the necessaryiadjustments of the mandrel could be employed v F represents aicarriageon whichthe seaming-rolls ,are mounted and which is: movable on the frame in any suitable manner toward .andfrom the mandrel toadvance and retract the rolls. In the constructionshown the carriage is provided at opposite sides with .depending flanges flzwhich are grooved to.-re ceive undercut guide-flanges ff, projecting outwardly from-the upper portionsv of the. sides of the frame. Some suitable operating device is providedfor. reciprocating the carriage on .its ways, the device show-nconsisting of a hand-lever G, which is fulcrumed ion a vertical pin g, fixed on theupper portion of the frame, andhas a short arm projecting-toward the carriage, to which it is connected by a linkgfl The link-and short armofxthe hand-lever form a toggle-joint, wherebythe carriage can. be pressed toward the mandrel withzgreat force.-

The seaming-rolls- H are'movably mounted on the slide-carriage, so that. they can be successively-moved into operative 1p 0- siti'on to engage the seam-flanges of the :articlewhen the carriage is advanced, and; they are all positively :dr iven.

The seaming-rolls have grooved or otherwise properly formed arts h jh" 'h respecthe seamorming o eration,v and each roll has a 1 rel atively -wi e -outwardl y-proj ecting and bear on the bottom or end of the article to hold the same down on the mandrel.

The seaming-rolls are mounted and driven .by the following means in the machine shown:

I represents a roll-turret pivoted to turn horizontally on the carriage about a vertical hollow post i, which has a reduced lower part secured in a vertical socket in the carriage by a nut i, screwed on the threaded lower end of the post. The turret has upper and lower horizontal flanges or parts between which the seaming-rolls are located, each roll being fixed to a vertical shaft K, journaled at oposite ends in bearing-holes in the upper and ower flanges of the turret. The seamingrolls are arranged in the arc of a circle concentric with the pivot-post for the turret, so

that by turning the latter the several rolls can be successively brought to the same operative position opposite to the mandrel which is occupied by the roll H in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The turret has a projecting handle or art L for turning it and a latch device M for ocking it in the different positions necessary to hold the several rolls in operative position. The latch shown consists of a spring-pressed lever M, arranged parallel with and pivoted to the turret-handle and connected to a bolt .m, which is slidable in a vertical hole in the 3 'series of holes m in the top of the carriage.

turret and is adapted to engage in either of a The bolt-holes are arranged in the arc of a circle about the turret-pivot and are so spaced that by engaging the bolt in the suc cessive holes the successive seaming-rolls will be held in operative position opposite to the mandrel. The turret is released by pressing on the outer end of the latch-lever and can then be turned to the desired position and again locked by releasing the latch-lever. A gear-pinion N is secured to the upper end of each roll-shaft and meshes with a gearwheel a, secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft 0, which passes through and is journaled in the hollow pivot-post for the turret and has a bevel gear-wheel p secured to its lower end. A bevel ear-Wheel p, meshing with the bevel gear-wheel p, is journaled in a bearing-lug 19 depending from the carriage, and is splined or otherwise secured to a horizontal counter-shaft Q in such manner that it turns with said shaft, but can slide thereon in the movements of the carriage and always maintain its engagement with the gear-wheel on the vertical shaft. The counter-shaft Q is journaled in a suitable bearing on the frame and is geared, as by wheels g g, to a drive-shaft R, which is journaled on the frame and is provided with the usual tight and loose belt-pulleys g 9 This mechanism positively drives the seamingrolls and allows the carriage to be reciprocated on its ways and also enables the roll-turret to be turned on its pivot. In turning the turretthe gear-wheels on the roll-shafts roll.

around on the gear on the central vertical shaft. Any other suitable drive mechanism for the seaming-rolls thus permitting the movement of the carriage and rotary ad justment of the turret could. be employed.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The turret is set in the osition shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 with the irst seaming-roll H in operative position opposite to the mandrel. The body and bottom or end of the article are provided, respectively, with the usual outwardly-projecting flange s and longitudinallyeXtending flange s, Fig. 6, and the bodyflange is loosely engaged in the bottom flange. The loosely-engaged. body and end. are placed over the mandrel B, with the end resting thereon, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1. The roll-drive mechanism is then started, and the operator swings the handlever G to advance the carriage and m ove the first roll H against the seamflanges. The positively-driven seaming-roll being forcibly pressed against the flanged end of the vessel causes the same and the mandrel to rotate, and the roll, being suitably shaped, turns the flange s of the end inwardly under the outwardly-projecting flange s of the body, as indicated in Fig. 7. When the end flange is completely turned in under the body-flange, the carriage is retracted and the turret is turned to bring the second. roll H into operative position opposite the mandrel and is locked by the latch. The carriage is again advanced by the hand-lever G and the second roll forced against the work. This roll is properly shaped to bend the partiallyformed seam down, as indicated in Fig. 8, and after it performs its function the carriage is again retracted, the turret again set to bring the third roll H into operative position, and the carriage is a third time advanced. The third roll is shaped to press or flatten the downbent seam in against the body of the vessel, as shown in Fig. 9, and completes the seam. The seam is thus completed in the machine described in three steps by three rolls. The invention is not, however, limited. to the form and number of the rolls described, and any number of rolls of the necessary shape adapted for the particular work to be performed can be used without in any wise departing from the principle of construction and operation of the machine.

It will be observed that the seaming-rolls are arranged on vertical axes or substantially parallel with the mandrel and are advanced horizontally or in a direction substantially parallel with the end face of the mandrel and end of the article. When the roll is in engagement with the article, its wide flange 7L3, overhanging the end of the article, will guide the same as it is rolled between the mandrel and seaming-roll and hold it in place on the mandrel, so that it is only necessary for the operator to steady the article with one hand 45 substantially parallel with the end face of the mandrel and adapted to overhang the same to I while he operates the hand-lever G with the other hand. The mandrel does not have to fit the article. It is only necessary for it to bear against'the body of the article adj acent to the seaming-roll and have a sufliciently large end face to enable the article to be readily held flat thereon by hand. Consequently one-sized mandrel will serve for seaming articles diifering very largely in diameter. Owing to the described constructionof the seamin -rolls and their relation to I v the mandrel, articles of comparatively heavy age sheet metal can be double-seamed with facility and with the minimum exertion,

We claim as our invention 1. The combination of a mandrel upon which the article is supported, a seamingdrel in a plane substantiall parallel with the roll journaled substantially parallel with said mandrel,' means for positively driving the seaming-roll, and means for moving the positively-driven seaming-roll toward. the manend of the mandrel,-said r 1 having a portion which overhangs the mandrel to hold the article thereon,said mandrel beingfree to revolve andbeing rotated only by the friction of the article thereon, substantially as set forth.

' 2. The combination of a mandrel upon which the article is loosely supported, a plurality of seaming-rolls adjustably mounted to be successively moved into the same operative position, means for positively driving I forth,

3'. The combination of a mandrel upon said seaming-rolls, and means for moving each positively-driven roll toward the mandrelto engage the article, substantially as set which the article is supported, a plurality of seaming-rolls adjustably I mounted to bemoved successively into operative position,

means for'positively driving said seamingrolls, and means for moving each positively driven seaming-roll toward the. mandrel to engage the article, said rolls having flanges hold the article in position lthereon, substan-' tially as set forth.

4. The combination of a mandrel upon which the article'is loosely supported, a plurality .of seaming-rolls, a support on which said rolls are adjustably mounted to be successively moved into the same operative position, means for positively driving said seam- 5 5 ing-rolls, and means for movin said support to advance and retraot'each r0 1 to and from the article, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a mandrel upon which the article is supported, a carriage which is movable toward and from said mandrel, a turret which is rotatably adjustable on said carriage, a plurality of seaming-rolls journaled on said turret and adapted to be successively moved into operative position by adjusting said turret, means for positively driving said seaming-rolls, and means for operatin said carriage to advance and retract the ro ls to. and from the article, substantially as set forth. 7o

6; The combination of a mandrel upon which the article is su ported, a carriage which is movable towar and from said mandrel, a turret which is rotatably adjustable on said carriage, a plurality of seaming-rolls journaled on said turret and adapted to be successively moved into operative position Brion J. LINDGREN. JOHN HUMELBUEHLER.

Witnesses:

' FRANCIS 'LooNEY, JOHN HIoKoK. 

